As is known it is the usual practice in sausage production for the filling of a sausage which is to be formed to be conveyed by way of a filling tube into a tube-like or bag-like packaging material which is closed at one end. After the filling operation is concluded a twisted braid portion which is free of filling material is formed by means of two members referred to as displacer plates. Two closure means, referred to as clips, are then applied to that braid portion, and close the packaging material on both sides of the braid portion. Thereafter that portion is severed therebetween. If the sausage is later to be hung up for example for the purposes of smoking or storage, for example a suspension loop is fed thereto in such a way that, when the clip is fitted, it is embraced by the clip and is thus secured to the sausage.
The term loops in accordance with this invention is used to denote all at least partially flexible means, by way of which articles can be hung up.
Many sausage products are subsequently subjected to further processing for example in a smoking chamber. For that purpose the sausages have to be hung up individually and separately at their loops in such a way that as far as possible they do not touch each other. The degree of automation is not very far advanced in this field so that at the present time sausages are still hung on smoking rails by hand.
An exception is afforded by the apparatus which is set forth in the opening part of this specification and which is known from DE 34 37 830 or DE 38 06 467 and by means of which the loops are automatically and securely caught by the pick-up means which for example is in the form of a bar or blade. In order to guarantee suitable positive guidance, the pin or stud which can be moved to the pick-up means from below comes into contact with the front end thereof as soon as a loop which has been fed thereto is positioned in such a way that the pin passes through it upon movement thereof into the contact position (first position). The holding loop is then pulled onto the pick-up means by a downward movement of the sausage hanging from the loop, over a direction-changing roller. At its rear end the pick-up means is rotatably pivoted to an endless chain which circulates in a vertical plane and to which the loop is transferred by way of a slider movable pneumatically along the pick-up means. When the chain is filled over a given region of its total length, a 180° pivotal movement of the chain drive about the longitudinal axis thereof is implemented, whereby a smoking rail which embraces the previously lower half of the chain is pivoted upwardly so that the loops are transferred from the previously upper half of the chain onto the smoking rail and comes to lie thereon. As the pick-up means may not be moved with the chain drive, it is supported at pairs of piston-cylinder units arranged at both sides of the pick-up means. In that situation there is only one respective piston-cylinder unit of each pair in engagement with the pick-up means while the second is retracted in order to clear the path for the loop transported by way of the pick-up means. After contact is triggered the respective other piston unit of each pair then comes into engagement with the pick-up means while the first is retracted to clear the path.
A disadvantage with an apparatus of that nature is that the configuration and actuation both of the slider with means for transfer of the sausage supplied by the pick-up means onto the chain and also of the support for the pick-up means require a high level of complication and expenditure. In addition the movements thereof slow down the conveying process.